How We Met
by KibaKibbles
Summary: Collection of one-shots about how the parents of all the demigods we know and love met. 8th chapter: Hermes and the mothers of Chris Rodriguez, Travis and Connor Stoll. -Requests are always welcome!-
1. Apollo and Will Solace's Mother

**Apollo and the mother of Will Solace**

Sometimes during the day when Apollo was bored he would visit university campuses in search of anything to quell the dullness of the endless life he lived. Today it was a cloudy day, due to the fact that the sun was now parked in the University of Alabama's parking lot.

His first class was Astronomy which he enjoyed because the way mortals viewed the universe amused him.

As the teacher began explaining about dark matter and supernovas Apollo's attention was caught by a blonde haired girl who had burst through the doors of the classroom out of breath and red in the face. The teacher gave the girl a dirty look but continued teaching.

Apollo however was only focused on the beauty. His day had just gotten a lot more interesting.

Once class was over Apollo followed behind the girl quietly. He tried convincing himself it was perfectly normal to follow her. He felt himself quickly falling in love with the girl – well as close to love as the forever bachelor god could get. The girl whose name he found out in Biology 180 was Julie Solace. In Anthropology 102 he found out she was only 18-years old and lived with her mother – her father skipped out on her and her three siblings. In Calculus 1 he discovered she was single and had never been in a relationship.

As she would walk to her classes he discovered that she was special –she would pause every few seconds on her way to class to admire a rabbit or flower. Apollo noted that whenever she was fascinated by something she would bite her lip and smile and her nose would crinkle.

By the end of the day Apollo was determined for them to get together.

After following her to a coffee shop where she worked in the evenings, Apollo watched from a small table as she prepared for her shift. And as soon as she stepped up to the register he approached her.

"Hello beautiful," he said smiling at her suddenly red face.

"What can I get you sir?" she asked quietly with a southern drawl that Apollo found delicious.

"Well I'll take a small cup of your finest coffee, but what I really want is for us to run away together, you're far too cute for this coffee shop," Apollo winked as he flirted with the girl whose cheeks were now a violent pink. It was a lame pickup line, but it seemed to work.

She didn't say anything but gave an awkward laugh and quickly started making him a cup of coffee.

"Here you go," Julie said nervously as she handed Apollo his coffee.

Apollo took it but didn't leave the counter. "So when do you get off work?" Apollo asked although he already knew from spying on her in her Anthropology class that she worked until 8pm on Wednesdays and until 9pm every other day.

"8," she said smiling shyly with a blush on her face.

Apollo knew it would be all too easy.

"I'll see you then lovely," Apollo winked at her before leaving the coffee shop. He would finish all his godly duties and by the night's end she would be his.

Once 8pm came around Apollo was sitting on the front of his Mazarati in the parking lot of the coffee shop. Julie exited the shop and looked around expectantly but didn't see him. Apollo grinned amusedly when he saw the look of sadness cross her face. Deciding to end her misery he stepped over to his car's window and honked his horn, alerting her attention.

Julie smiled and quickly ran over to him. Apollo had to keep from laughing out loud at her innocent wide brown eyes that looked up at him with amazement.

"You didn't think I'd wait, did you?" Apollo asked with a small smile on his face.

Julie shook her head and Apollo could tell that her earlier shyness was coming back. And that just wouldn't do. "Let's go for a drive."

Julie pursed her lips slightly as Apollo walked over to the passenger's side holding the door open for her.

"Common, I won't bite" –Yet, he thought amusedly.

"What's your name?" She spoke for the first time to him in a soft timid voice.

"I'm Apollo, like that Greek god or the speed skater – whichever sounds cooler. And you're Julie right? Julie Solace – cool name if you don't mind me saying," Apollo noticed her frown as she probably wondered how the heck he knew it without being a creeper (which he totally was). "Your name tag had your name on it earlier," he lied.

Julie seemed to believe him and slowly brushed past Apollo and sat down. Apollo was happy with how easy things were turning out. Though it was to be expected, he was basically the god of awesomeness, and over time he learned that the younger girls were the easiest to get -it were the older ones that put up more of a chase.

Julie had never had a boyfriend before, to her he must've seemed like the god he was.

"I know this cool place by this pond that I want to show you, do you want to see it?"

Julie nodded and Apollo started driving in the direction. He was barely focused on the road, instead he would watch Julie from the corner of his eye. Her small hands were fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she probably wondered what she was doing in a stranger that she just met's car.

"You don't have to be worried Julie, I can tell already that I really like you," Apollo tried to ease her nerves, "And I'm very protective towards those that I like."

Julie glanced at him and only smiled back at him weakly. Apollo took one hand off the steering wheel and captured her warm left hand in his burning right hand. He felt her tense but didn't mind, lots of girls were nervous at first.

When they finally approached the clearing next to a large pond that was glistening with stars in the dark moonlit night Apollo was more than ready for things to heat up.

He opened the car door and quickly helped Julie out her seat. They sat together in silence at the foot of the pond as they swatted away mosquitoes and listened to crickets chirping.

"You know you're a really beautiful girl," Apollo shifted closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He felt her tense but was relieved when she didn't pull away.

"The moon's really pretty tonight," she whispered softly. Apollo had the feeling she wasn't really talking to him and glided his hand up along her back as his face inched closer to her neck.

"I don't normally do stuff like this," her breath hitched as Apollo kissed the crook of her neck.

Apollo moved his face in front of hers and smiled, "It's okay, I'll lead."

She never saw him again.

Julie discovered she was pregnant two months later. The stress of school and the pain she felt from her one-night stand prevented her from seeing the signs. And by the time she found out it was already too late to have an abortion – not that she would have. At least that's what she told herself after William James Solace was born. Her baby boy, whom she hoped would never turn out like his father, a womanizer, or herself, naïve and clueless about love. She wanted him to be strong and responsible, to respect women and care for them.

She never graduated college, dropping out to have a baby by herself after her conservative parents kicked her out. Although she now considers herself successful, as an owner of a beauty shop, she knows she could've been much more. But if there was one thing she will like about what Apollo did was the gift of her son.

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><p><strong>AN: I think Apollo is interesting and I always want to write about him. I think because he goes around looking like a teenage boy probably means he mainly targets girls who are in their teens too. I would also think he kind of has a sadistic way of looking at girls then. Most girls that age are really gullible and naive. So I think he loves for them in a I'm-going-to-live-forever kind of way. So sorry if Apollo seems kind of mean, but that's actually the point. He doesn't mean to be mean, I think he sees it as a privilege to be with him.**

REVIEW


	2. Dionysus and Castor & Pollux's Mother

**As requested: Dionysus and the mother of Castor and Pollux**

Shelly O'Donnell had been raised in a big comfy home in a very small town in Michigan. Her town was home to 250 people and her family of 8 had never known a world outside of it. Ever since she was little she had been crowded by her five older brothers. As the baby and only girl she was spoiled rotten but that didn't affect her good natured personality. Knowing everyone in town always made her stay very humble. That's why she was very grateful to her parents when they supported her financially with her move to California.

She would be traveling with her older brother by a year, Colin and Mark, her boyfriend of five years. Considering this was the farthest she'd ever been without her parents even at the age of 25, she was very nervous.

After moving into a very cramped 2 bed, 1 bathroom and 1 kitchen apartment about an hour away from Los Angeles. Adapting to her new life was hard. It was weird going outside and not recognizing anyone, most people were friendly but the sense of community was inexistent. She had struggled to find a job at first while her brother and boyfriend had immediately secured jobs.

The stress of having to lean on her parents slowly made her more depressed and grouchy – that's probably why by the end of their 4th month in California she had broken up with Mark. This only created more awkward tension in the household.

The only place Shelly could find peace was when she snuck into the vineyards that surrounded the town. The neat rows of the bushes and the aroma of grapes offered her a new crutch. She would climb over the fence surrounding the fields, making sure she was careful to not get pricked by the barbed wire on the very top. Then she would take out her iPod and listen to her favorite bands as she sat in-between rows of fruit.

That's what she was doing when she was spotted by him.

Shelly's eyes were closed as she listened to The Delgados album, "Hate," which was the only album she felt she could relate to with her. Suddenly she felt someone poke her back making her jump up in surprise and quickly yank out her ear buds.

"I didn't know I wasn't allowed in!" She yelled flustered, although she did know from all the signs that warned about trespassing that she was also subject to a fine and prison time. And she'd be damned if she was going to prison, it wasn't like she was eating the fruit –well not a lot of it.

Shelly turned around and came face-to-face with a man only a few inches taller than her. He had dark hair that glinted suspiciously like it was the darkest shade of purple in the sunlight. His face was round and his cheeks were rosy red. Oddly he had strange light purple irises; Shelly thought she must be seeing things because she didn't think purple eyes were possible. He looked like he was around her age and was fairly attractive to her, which only worsened her mental thoughts. She must've she looked pretty weird in her ruffled yellow sun dress and with small droplets of dried blood running down her legs from having slipped on the top of the barbed wire upon sneaking in.

"Well I guess I can't blame you for coming in then," he said with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I guess you can't. And now that I know I should be going," Shelly grabbed her iPod that had fallen onto the ground and started making her way from the man before her arm was caught his hand.

"I never said that you weren't allowed to come in."

"But the sign on the gate said it –"Shelly cursed at her mistake, "I mean… I'm sorry, I just like coming here and I swear I'm not eating a lot of the grapes, it's just a few when I get hungry and they're really good. And I promise I won't come back and eat anymore, I would offer you money to pay you back but I'm afraid I don't have any so…"

Shelly could tell her face was probably glowing by now, she had never really gotten into a lot of trouble growing up and when she did she always got really nervous and would start stuttering.

"You can work off your debt by working here," he suggested, she noticed he was trying to hide his smirk.

"No, I can't, I don't even know you!"

"I'm Dionysus, and you are?"

"My name's Shelly. Dionysus? That's really your name?" Shelly knew all about mythology having studied it in 6th grade and finding the stories of the Greek gods fascinating. It was an odd name for modern times though.

"Just like the Greek god, do you find it strange?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah – I mean no! It's just unusual nowadays. But I like the god Dionysus, wine is pretty important and one of the few things that has stayed almost the same for thousands of years. I think it'd be an honor to be named after him." Shelly noticed that his gaze brightened.

"Well then since we now know each other better and you still owe me for all those grapes you ate I assume you will agree to work for me?"

Shelly was hesitant. Although she needed a job and she wouldn't mind being around the vineyard or Dionysus, she had a feeling that somehow her decision would be very important.

"I'll do it," Shelly decided. It was better than wallowing in pity because of her recent failures in life, and it would give her some news to tell her family that she wasn't completely incompetent.

Dionysus seemed satisfied, "Great, see you at 5 AM tomorrow. And come in the front, there's no need to jump the fence anymore." With one last smirk he walked away towards a house in the distance.

Shelly began working every day before the break of dawn in Dionysus's fields. She discovered that he single handedly cultivated all the grapes in his fields. It was hard labor, having to cut down each grape in the hot sun, but it kept her busy. Plus, she was quickly becoming enamored with Dionysus. He was quirky in his own way – he taught her the game of pinochle and during their breaks they'd sit around a small round table in his kitchen sipping wine and chatting during a game.

It was during a game of pinochle after weeks of awkward tension that she spontaneously kissed him. Surprising herself and him, but no one was complaining when it escalated into something more.

Their love affair lasted for months. Each day Shelly would arrive early in the morning and they'd work in the fields – occasionally gazing at each other or "accidentally" touching. By the afternoon when they were both tired Shelly would make lunch and they'd either sit on the porch gazing at the fields as they talked about whatever or starting a heated game of pinochle. But every night they found their way into each other's arms until Shelly had to leave for her apartment as to not raise suspicion from her brother.

Although Shelly had fallen in love with Dionysus and was already imagining a life with him she still didn't feel comfortable telling anyone about him. Her family was still trying to get her to get back together with Mark.

When Shelly found out she was a month pregnant she didn't hesitate to tell Dionysus. Because telling him would mean finally settling down and them raising a family together.

"I can't," Dionysus said to her heartbroken face.

Shelly felt tears running down her face as her body felt numb. Him rejecting her was not what she imagined. "Why not?" She asked him shakily.

Dionysus shook his head and frowned angrily, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have let this escalate like it did. You see I'm really Dionysus."

Shelly didn't know what he was trying to say, "Of course you're Dionysus, and I love you! That's why I want us to be a family."

Dionysus shook his head even more angrily, "Listen, I'm really the Greek god Dionysus. I'm thousands of years old. I'm the inventor of wine, god of parties, madness and all that other fun stuff…"

Shelly gazed at him through blurry eyes frowning. He wasn't supposed to be joking about stuff when she was pouring her heart out to him.

"Look I'll prove it," Dionysus raised his hand and with a snap of his fingers a glass of wine appeared in his hand. Shelly stared dumbstruck at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I couldn't. There are strict rules that I have to follow, and one of them is that I can't stay with a mortal too long or interfere too much with my child's life."

Shelly wasn't sure what to say – the sudden revelation that Greek gods actually exist is not something that one just glances over.

The rest of the night was spent with Shelly listening to Dionysus explain about Camp Half-blood and advice on how to raise a demigod child. After that he told her to not look for him again because he would be leaving. And he kept to his word, the next day she ran up to the house and furiously banged on the door only to be greeted by a woman that seemed confused when asked if a man lived there. After that Shelly moved back home to Michigan, where she calmly explained to her family the predicament she'd gotten herself into.

Shelly was surprised when she gave birth to twins. She named them Pollux and Castor because she thought it was a cute name for twin boys – she slightly regretted her decision when her friend pointed out that Castor died at the end of the story but reminded herself that it happened thousands of years ago.

Her family immediately accepted Pollux and Castor into their family and everyone helped with buying diapers, food and clothing. The brothers that guided her during her childhood became the fathers Castor and Pollux would maybe never know. Over time Shelly once again fell in love with Mark. They married when her boys were 9-years old. She gave birth to a girl whom she named Diane.

When news came that her son Castor had died she remembered falling into depression. When Dionysus visited to comfort her she cursed the day she'd ever met him and blamed him for Castor's death. And when Dionysus gave up and left, Shelly felt even bitterer at the fact that she still loved him.

**AN:/ Anyone can request a pairing (but I want to either post Ares/Clarisse's mom or next)**

**These are also kind of depressing, though this one only really because Castor died in the end… Next one will hopefully be more erm – not as sad? **


	3. Ares and Clarisse La Rue's Mother

**Ares and the mother of Clarisse La Rue**

Ares and Marsha La Rue were probably the oddest pair the gods of Olympus had seen in a while - the earlier being Hermes and the goat that created Pan. So when the gods decided to spy on Ares as he went on a date set up as a challenge from a minor god, they couldn't help but laugh at the 5 foot 1 inch petit woman with straight blond hair, pursed lips, and a serious gaze sitting across from Ares.

Marsha La Rue was from a family of extroverts, or as she referred to them- hippies. Marsha, who preferred to be called Mary, hated her family. Her father was a demigod, a son of Dionysus, and her mother was an extremely liberal mortal. She severely disliked everything out of the ordinary and a family related to the Greek gods was anything but.

After agreeing to a blind date by a coworker (a minor god in disguise) at her extremely dull job she found herself sitting across from the biggest, buffest man she'd ever met.

"What do you do for a living?" Mary asked not at all nervous by Ares's deathly aura that was making everyone else in the restaurant uneasy.

"Stuff that involves fighting other people," Ares grunted as he stared angrily at his plate and jabbed roughly at his steak.

"I work at a paper company. It's a simple job that pays well, but it's respected," Mary said curtly, noting how Ares was too rude to ask her what she did himself. She cut her broccoli in small sections before taking a nibble off the stem.

"Yeah, whatever," Ares focused his attention on his food, cursing himself for getting in the predicament and swearing payback to the stupid god who set him up.

Back in the throne room of Olympus the gods were starting to lose their interest and called for Eros to come to them. Once Eros arrived they explained the situation and requested he make things more "interesting."

After dinner was over for the odd couple, Mary was more than ready to go home and jump into bed with a cup of tea, a book, and her cats. Ares was feeling ready to smash and punch the next thing that annoyed him.

Suddenly Eros appeared before them and struck both of them with a love arrow before Ares or Mary could react.

Mary awoke the following morning to find not her cat, but Ares in her bed. 9 months later her daughter Clarisse Alice La Rue was born. And by the time Clarisse was eight and nearly 6 feet tall with the physique of a high school football player, Mary realized that her daughter was also anything but normal and sent her off to Camp Half-Blood. Clarisse visits every few months.

Ares beat Eros up so badly that he couldn't move for a week and the minor god that set him up on the blind date was beaten so bad he faded.

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><p><strong>AN: And that's why Clarisse is a bully. lol**

**~Thanks a trillion for all the reviews and suggestions! ^_^ I'm glad people are reading. Also thanks to the people who are favoriting or alerting.~**

So far my schedule of what I'll post and what order will be as follows:

1. Nemesis with Ethan's dad (I have an idea floating around in my head)

2. Poseidon & Sally

3. Aphrodite & Silena's dad

4. I'll be honest, I don't remember who Beckendorf is but I'll try and squeeze him in after I learn.

5. And I already finished writing Athena & Dr. Chase

6. Keep making suggestions!


	4. Nemesis and Ethan Nakamura's Father

**Nemesis and the father of Ethan Nakamura**

Nemesis preferred roaming the earth to being enclosed in the confines of Olympus. She traveled all over the land creating balance with everyone she met. If a man was so poor that he couldn't clothe his own children's backs – she'd trick the man who bought his children endless amounts of superficial material into giving away some of his money.

She liked balance – it was simple even if it was sometimes cruel.

She met Keita Nakamura when she was in Tokyo. Keita had it all. He was born to a very old and rich family and being the only child he was pampered to the extremes. When Keita was 12 his father insisted that he be admitted into Johnny's entertainment, a talent agency for Japanese males. By the time he was 16 every Japanese citizen knew his name. Everyone loved him, not a soul could hate him. And because of that Nemesis took pleasure in fooling around with things.

When Keita had turned 24 and at the height of his popularity Nemesis manipulated the mist, turning herself into Keita's 18-year old assistant. Nemesis would begin with flirting, occasionally brushing her body against his or touching him longer than was necessary.

Eventually it was clear that he was infatuated with her but was obviously holding back. It would be a huge scandal if he'd be caught. However Nemesis liked the chase.

One day Keita made a mistake, a mistake that thrust him into the media spotlight.

Headlines read: "Star Pop Idol Keita Gets Teenager Pregnant!"

Every media outlet scorned Keita, his talent agency dropped him, and he received death threats from people in the mail. After all everyone knew Nemesis as the poor 18-year old girl from the country who'd lost her parents and was dreaming of being an idol one day – only to become pregnant by the perverted Keita. None of the articles mentioned that it was Nemesis who actually began the affair.

By the time Nemesis thought all was balanced Ethan was born. Keita had moved to America and decided on starting fresh where no one knew him. What Nemesis wasn't expecting was the sudden death of Keita when Ethan was only 9-years old.

**AN:/ I found it hard to make dialogue with a character we don't know much about. Thus, no dialogue! :/ Sorry if this was bad, I had a good idea IMO but shaky execution.**

I might take a while getting the next chapter up because I really want to make that chapter great since it is Percy's parents.


	5. Athena and Annabeth's Father

**Athena and the father of Annabeth**

"Freddie let's go to my house after class today man!"

"No, not today," Fred said to his buddy Greg, who Fred thought was still as immature as when they were 11 when they would light firecrackers in trash bins.

"You always say not today, one day you're going to wake up and lose all your freedom. I'm tellin' yah to live a little. You need a girl friend at least," Greg said giving him a nudge and grin.

"I can't, I have a midterm paper to finish."

"Dude, class just started last week. That paper isn't due for 5 more weeks."

Fred ignored Greg and headed to his next class. He was in his senior year in high school and was hoping to be accepted into the History undergraduate program at Harvard University with a full scholarship. And that goal would never be reached if he didn't get not only all A's but maintain a good relationship with all his teachers so they could write him good recommendation letters. That what happens when you were born in a family that can't afford to send you off to school.

"Whatever man, see yah later!" Greg yelled down the hall as Fred continued to his next class.

His history class was about the Roman and Greek warfare, something that Fred already knew a lot about and was hoping to show off his skills in front of the teacher. He sat down in the front row next to a Japanese girl and a girl he had never seen before that had long black hair and startling grey eyes.

The teacher began discussing Rome and one of the earlier battles after Julius Caesar's death.

"Can anyone tell me who became emperor after Caesar's death?" Mr. Bloomberg asked.

Fred raised his hand in synch with the new girl.

"Fred?" his teacher motioned to him.

Smiling cockily Fred answered, "Julius Caesar's adopted son Octavian."

Mr. Bloomberg nodded and Fred's heart filled with pride. He may be a nerd who knew things that most teenagers didn't care to learn but he was proud of himself. The girl next to him raised an eyebrow at him and Fred just gave her a shrug. If the new kid was going to want to compete he was ready.

Fred found himself in the same class with the new girl, whose name was Athena, for the rest of the day. As he had noted earlier she was definitely smart, probably even smarter than him. Fred made it his goal to always surpass her; something that he discovered was beyond challenging if not impossible.

"You're really trying hard to outdo me," Athena said to him one day bluntly as they sat in math class waiting for the teacher to begin.

"I really need to do well, it's nothing personal."

Athena stared at him intensely with those sharp grey eyes before replying, "I can help you."

"I-I don't need your help!" Fred stuttered. He knew he was poor and accepted it, he didn't like to be considered a charity case.

"I'm not trying to pity you. I'm merely offering you help. I have connections at Harvard that could get you in without you having to pay a dime. They'll even pay for your luxury items. If you are wise you will accept my offer. I do not offer it to just anyone."

By this point Fred was trying to wrap his head around how she knew he was applying to Harvard. Before Fred could respond to her offer the teacher had already begun class. Fred spent the remainder of math half paying attention as he debated about seeking her aid. He had come to appreciate Athena over the past few weeks – she was intelligent, witty and genuinely fun to buck heads with.

"I'll accept your offer," he said to her once class was over.

Athena nodded and smiled warmly at him. Fred suddenly noticed how pretty she looked before quickly brushing those thoughts aside.

"You focus on your classes and I'll get you into Harvard," Athena said firmly. Fred agreed to the deal, he didn't know what the connections Athena had but he was willing to trust her.

The next months of class leading up to the dreaded college admissions had Fred beyond nervous. Athena stopped showing up to class shortly after their deal had been made but Fred was reassured after a visit one day that she was still going to help him. Still, he had to juggle all of his AP classes with chess club and then his time in the ROTC. By the time he submitted his college application he was exhausted and could only pray that he got in and got the scholarship that he desperately needed.

When the day his letter was supposed to come he found Athena again. She smiled at him brightly and handed him a large envelope.

"Open it," Athena said with her grey eyes shining.

Fred tore it open and was shocked to find not only a large brochure about his acceptance into the history program, but a statement from the school that agreed to cover all the expenses he would have for college. There was even a hand written statement from the president of the college congratulating him.

Before Fred could get out the words to thank Athena he grabbed a hold of her and hugged her close to him tightly. When he pulled away awkwardly after realizing what he was doing he noticed her cheeks were slightly red.

"Sorry," Fred muttered now embarrassed, "And thanks for helping me. I really owe you."

Athena shook her head, "I only helped you because you deserve it. It'd be a waste if a guy like you couldn't go to college."

As Fred prepared for college in the coming months while maintaining his grades he did relax a bit. He spent more time with Greg and even Athena would drop by. Fred didn't even know where she lived and when he would ask she'd just say, "Around."

When college began Fred wanted to prove that he deserved the extravagant scholarship and refocused all his attention back to school. Whenever he felt overwhelmed with the material he would call Athena and she would somehow always come no matter the time. With her guidance he managed to finish his undergraduate and his master's program in 4 years.

During that time he'd come to take great pride in his friendship with Athena. At times he questioned what she was to him. She didn't seem like she wanted a romantic relationship – all the times he would hint at going on a date together she'd just rephrase it to spending "friendly" time together. However Fred still took into consideration of her feelings and even asked at one point if she was okay with him dating a girl from one of his classes.

Athena never minded and only seemed to be the same guiding friend since he was in high school. It wasn't until a few weeks into his doctorate program when he opened his door to a weird guy in a toga holding a sleeping newborn baby wrapped in a pink blanket that he discovered what he meant to Athena.

The man who turned out to be a god explained who Athena really was and how she had blessed him with their child, the baby girl in the blanket. When the god handed the still shocked Fred the bundle for the first time in a long time, he didn't know what to do. He barely knew how to hold a baby. Plus he still wasn't sure if this was Greg's idea of a joke.

He was just about to call Athena when she suddenly appeared before him, and by that he literally meant pixelating as if she were a hologram in front of him. He almost dropped the little girl in his arms at the sight earning him a frown from the real life Greek god.

"You – are not – possible!" Fred sputtered out trying to force himself to believe what he was saying.

Athena gazed at him intently with those familiar piercing grey eyes that he had once told her in a drunken stupor that they were cold but beautiful.

"Yet here I am," her gaze never wavering.

"So it's true. This is our child even though we never… You know?"

"Yes, she is my gift for you, a gift of my love for you."

Frederic was having trouble understanding. She admitted that she loved him and is giving her a daughter as a reward? It made no sense to Fred and after begging for Athena to take the baby girl back to no avail he seceded and called his mother for child rearing advice.

When Annabeth opened her eyes for the first time revealing the same startling cold but beautiful grey eyes as her mother and grasped his finger tightly Fred fell in love even though he knew he was in for a challenging future.

**AN:/ Sorry for posting this before Sally/Poseidon but I've been to busy to work on that and this was already finished. And I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. **

**THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! **


	6. Aphrodite and Piper's Father

**Aphrodite and the father of Piper McLean (from the viewpoint of Ares)**

"Where have you been?" Came the questioning voice of his son Eros (also known as Cupid).

His son was in child form wearing a toga and a sly grin on his face. Although Ares had been bothered at first that his first son ended up rather "feminine" and a lot like his mother, he realized quickly the true power Eros possessed and knew not to offend him too much, but Ares was also in a bad mood.

"None of your business," Ares said gruffly as he continued to make his way towards Aphrodite's private chambers.

"She doesn't want to see you right now," Eros fluttered to his side, the grin still etched on his face. "She never wants to see you after one of your rendezvous – you know that."

And Ares did know that, but he was in such a bad mood that he didn't care. He cursed Zeus's stupid laws making him unable to be in his newborn son's life. He'd left Emily Zhang and their son Frank on the day of Frank's birth because he had too. He'd already spent an insurmountable time with Emily, a fact that probably would make Aphrodite even more ticked. But he still continued his long strides past statues, paintings and her followers. His bad mood could only be calmed by war and her. And since war reminded him too much of Emily he had to make do with Aphrodite.

"Go bug your brothers Eros, I'll handle your mother." Ares grabbed the door handle to Aphrodite's bedroom and pushed it open.

"Whatever you say papa," Eros chuckled before flying away.

Ares entered the chamber and was immediately overcome with her scent. Her scent was different for everyone, that's what made her the most beautiful woman in the world. To Ares she smelled of freshly shed blood – however revolting that sounded.

His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he made out her sleeping form sprawled out lovingly on her bed. He felt enticed to join her warmth and make love to her – well he always felt that way looking at her. He quickly made his way to the side of her bed and as gentle as the war god could, he stroked her face – running his coarse fingertips across her cheeks and over her warm soft lips. He felt himself drowning in her beauty when he heard her breath hitch.

"Ares," she said in an airy voice that grabbed at his body.

"Hmm?"

"Piss off!" A pillow flew at his face breaking Ares out of the trance. Aphrodite's face was now contorted in anger, beautiful yet dangerous anger that Ares had the luxury of experiencing a few times in his life.

"How dare you think you can just waltz in her after you spend over a year with your lover and then come to me like I'm seconds!" Aphrodite stood up from her bed and Ares could only stare in awe at her raw anger. An angry Aphrodite was just a sensual lover if not more than her usual self. Of course he couldn't use that angst if she was too ticked off at him to do anything.

"You're not seconds, you know that. But you know, jealousy is a good look for you. It makes me want you even more.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, "I'm not jealous of you. I've had just as many lovers as you." Aprodite smirked at that last statement.

"Then you are fine with my newborn son?"

Aphrodite's smirk disappeared and her lips pursed tightly, her eyes that changed shades with each change in emotion were now a maroon color and were glaring at him. "Of course." Ares failed to hide his smirk at her obvious lie.

Of course he knew she didn't like it, he didn't like it when she'd fall for a mortal man and become entranced. But they were gods who naturally grew bored after too long, and they were already lovers of an adulterous affair. Neither of them had the right to be upset.

"Stay with me tonight," Ares reached for her arm only to have her jerk away.

"I can't. I was just leaving."

Ares's eyes narrowed, she never resisted his desire when he was the one to initiate. "You were just sleeping."

Aphrodite grinned the same sly smirk as their son Eros, "I've been planning on visiting the mortals for a while Ares. I can't stick around Olympus all the time, I grow bored of _all_ it has to offer so easily." Still grinning, she snapped her fingers and a suit case with her belongings appeared at her side.

"Later Ares."

"Wait where do you think you're go-" Ares was cut off by her teleporting away.

"Shit," he muttered. He'd have to find her himself. But at least he'd have something to distract his mind from Emily.

Tracking Aphrodite turned out to be harder than expected. For the next few weeks he went from New York City to Paris, to London, to Italy, to Sydney and a small town in Indonesia all the way to Hollywood when he noticed a tabloid with her face on it while hugging a man named Tristan McLean.

Growling he made his way to Sunset Boulevard where he knew she'd be and sure enough he spied her at a restaurant being embraced by a dark haired, tan skinned man who looked to be enjoying himself as he felt her up.

Ares could feel jealousy flush through his body. He saw Aphrodite look up from the man's kisses and at him. She smirked and returned to the man's petting. Before he made a huge mistake like strangling the man to death in front of her, he teleported away back to his temple.

"Find Eros!" he yelled in a dangerous tone to his sons Phobos and Deimos who scrambled away to avoid his notorious bad temper.

A few minutes passed before the twins returned holding a struggling Eros.

"What do you want papa! I didn't do anything this time!" Eros grinned as he managed to knee Deimos in the groin.

"Ah, shuddup Eros. You're always doing something," Phobos smacked his older brother down before he could fly away.

"Eros, who is the man your mother is with?" Ares asked ignoring his children's fighting.

Eros quit struggling and his sly grin only became wider on his face – if Ares hadn't been told by Aphrodite herself he would've sworn Eros could've been a child of Hermes.

"Oh him," Eros smoothed his toga flat on his body and laughed, "He's mother's new boy toy. His name is Tristan McLean, he's an actor who just landed his big role in some movie about Spartan soldiers."

Ares growled, he knew Aphrodite had probably picked him just to tick him off. Why else would she find a man similar to him? Ares no longer cared too much of the fact that Aphrodite wouldn't sleep with him, but was instead enraged at the idea that she would dare insult his pride. And for that reason Tristan McLean would pay up.

"Where is she staying?"

Eros told him the address and Ares began scheming ways to get rid of the man who was taking all of Aphrodite's attention.

"I think she loves him," Eros said breaking Ares away from his thoughts.

Ares felt his stomach turn and without another word to Eros he teleported away. Adonis came to his mind as he stood in front of the gates to the mansion of Tristan McLean. Adonis had become one of Aphrodite's love interests after Eros accidentally pricked her with one of his arrows. Adonis had been the only mortal man to truly capture Aphrodite's heart – Adonis was the only other man besides himself that Aphrodite truly loved. And because of that Ares had killed him. It was his only act of conniving rage where he hadn't taken his rival face-on, instead he'd disguised himself as a boar and struck him down from behind. It hadn't been one of Ares's finer moments, but in the end Aphrodite came running back to his arms – even if he'd destroyed a piece of her.

"Why are you standing out here Ares?" her soothing voice spoke to him and in a blink of an eye Aphrodite stood in front of him. Her hair was now a rustic auburn color and her eyes were swirls of every shade of gold – his favorite.

"Thinking of how to kill him," he replied honestly.

Aphrodite's face darkened, "Don't you dare Ares – not again." She crossed her arms over her chest and he knew she was serious which only made him angrier.

"I won't if you come back with me."

"I'm pregnant."

Ares frowned, "Doesn't matter, come back with me now. Send it to him by mail like Athena does."

"She's not an 'it' Ares. She's my daughter and I'm not leaving him now – not yet anyways." Her frown disappeared as she ran her hand through her hair and she sighed tiredly, "It's not like I could stay anyways, with Zeus's rules."

Ares also sighed but in frustration. He took her hand in his and studied its perfectness, "You'd want to stay if you could." It wasn't a question because Ares already knew the answer. He knew the answer because if someone had asked him the same question about him and Emily he'd also stay.

"Sometimes it's best to just get away from Olympus and all its problems," Ares knew she was also referring to him, "Sometimes I just want to run away Ares. I can't help it, just like I know you can't either."

Ares pulled her closer to him and kissed her warm soft perfect lips.

"We're so screwed up aren't we?" she asked him before placing her lips again on his.

"Nothing wrong with that," Ares grinned and they broke away. He'd just have to get over his own bad mood without Aphrodite this time, besides he trusted she'd come back. In the end the Fates always led them back to each other.

"Later," he said gruffly. He looked away from her warm eyes, "I won't kill him."

Aphrodite's laugh filled the air, "I know." Then she teleported away – back to him. And Ares, now as Mars teleported back to Emily, spying on her as she tucked their son into his crib.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all liked this chapter, the problem with this story formula is that the stories can get formulaic. So I tried something different this time. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, that's the reason it's a series of one-shots so you won't be stuck on a cliffhanger forever. <strong>

**Read, Review, Favorite, or Alert.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Hades and Nico & Bianca's Mother

**Hades and the mother of Nico and Bianca Di Angelo**

_He was a winter wind,  
>Concerned with ice and snow,<br>Dead weeds and unmated birds,  
>And little of love could know.<em>

_**1925**_

"You are such a disappointment!" Hades yelled at his adult son Adolf Hitler. Disgust and fury was evident on his face as he observed the man his son had become.

Adolf remained unnerved by Hades' verbal assault, his lips were slightly curled up as his identical dark eyes gazed at his father – making Hades wish to disobey every rule his _dear_ brother Zeus made and end the pathetic excuse for a human being sitting in front of him in an instant.

"I knew you wouldn't like it," Adolf said mater-of-factly.

"Who taught you this filth?" Hades threw the book entitled, "Mein Kempf," at his son who easily dodged it.

Adolf gave a dark laugh and stood from his seat to retrieve his book, "I'm the son of death, am I not? I'd say it's in my nature. You should thank me father, I'm going to give you more work."

Hades felt his insides twist as he watched Adolf. Maria, Adolf's mother, had been a woman that instantly intrigued Hades. She was a rebel and a flirt. Adolf was a rebel in all the wrong ways. Maria had died years earlier- which Hades thought was one of the reasons for Adolf's extreme hate. That and the genetic grudge that even Hades had a hard time resisting. A few bad events- and suddenly Adolf was calling for the extermination of everyone not of a master race.

"You disgust me, you are not my son," Hades could only mutter darkly.

Adolf's strong gaze that was so similar to his own relented, huffing he replied, "Well you were never much of a father."

Hades teleported away before Adolf could catch the glimpse of pain that crossed his face from those true words.

He found himself walking around Chicago as he let Adolf's words sink in. He was a bad father- he was never the cuddly type, the mentoring type, or the stern type. He was bad with kids, especially his own. He loved them (most of them anyway), but there was never a connection. However he knew he wasn't completely to blame for Adolf's descent into darkness, most of his other kids didn't set out to exterminate most of the world just because their father neglected them.

He was still lost in his thoughts as he heard a scream pierce the spring night sky.

"Help! Please Hel-!" Hades spied a group of men surrounding a petite woman. One was holding her from behind with his hand covering her mouth while the others began to grope her.

Disgusted Hades quickly made his way over to the group of humans. He hoped his brother wasn't looking as he summoned skeletons who quickly overtook the men. The woman fell to the ground in sobs.

Sighing, Hades knew he'd put himself in a situation. There was no way he could just leave her on the middle of the sidewalk or the act of saving her would be pointless.

He kneeled down next to her small form and noticed she'd passed out from the shock. He moved his hands and flipped her over gently so he could observe the damage. A small bruise was forming on her cheek and a few more on her neck but besides that she was fine. More than fine- as he observed her more closely. She was beautiful. Her hair was a silky dark brown hair that couldn't resist petting gently. Her skin was a dark olive which her parted red lips complimented with perfectly.

Gently he picked her up in his arms and teleported them to the nearest hotel room. He laid her in the bed and then began the long wait for her to wake up – he was unsure if it was rude to simply leave someone after that ordeal or if he wanted to leave.

* * *

><p>She arose at sunrise exactly. She peered around the room confused as she tiredly tried to figure out where she was. When she made eye contact with Hades she flinched and a look of fear filled her features.<p>

"Where am I?" She asked him cautiously in a husky voice - she had a thick Italian accent which combined with her drowsiness, made her words sound like a foreign language.

"A hotel," Hades replied simply. He was starting to think it would've been best for him to not have waited for her to gain consciousness. She looked at him as if he was one of the guys molesting her. "You passed out."

She continued to gaze at him warily but she looked slightly less guarded. "You made those skeletons come."

Hades flinched slightly, she could see through the mist. And she looked intelligent enough that there wouldn't be much sense to lie.

"Yes I did," he said simply.

"You saved me," she said to herself, fear as still evident on her face. Her eyes left his and she bit down on her red lip nervously. Hades watched as she had some sort of internal dialogue with herself. She would mutter something he couldn't hear and then shake her head nervously. He understood though, it's not every day you are almost raped only to find yourself rescued by the walking dead and then waking up in a hotel only in the presence of a dark haggard looking male who admits he can summon the walking dead. He was surprised she hadn't dashed for the door yet.

"You can't be evil and you won't hurt me because you saved me, although my Mama says witchcraft and things like that is sinful."

Hades stared at her intrigued at such a naïve statement. He was dangerous. What he did wasn't exactly witchcraft but he doubted her mama would appreciate him nonetheless.

"Can I trust that what I said is right? You won't hurt me?" Her intense brown eyes met his equally intense gaze.

Hades smirked slightly and nodded. "What's your name?" He asked her.

"Maria." Hades almost flinched. Just earlier he'd thought about another Maria in his life, one who after a bitter love affair was about contribute what love they had as a an oncoming mess of death and destruction.

"That's a beautiful name," Hades replied to be met with a more beautiful sight. She smiled at him and dimples appeared on both her cheeks.

"Thank you, what's yours?"

"Hades."

"That's an… interesting name," Maria looked at him suspiciously. "You're not really him are you?"

Her tone was joking and Hades knew he was supposed to lie and say, 'of course not,' but he was having a crummy week anyways. A crummy year if you included the fact that while one of his children was about to commit mass genocide another was going to die soon by the fault of her delirious mother. So really, he could care less if he angered his little brother by revealing himself.

"Yes I am."

Maria's eyes got bigger and some of the earlier fear returned. She avoided his eyes and bit her lower red lip hard.

"I said I wasn't going to hurt you didn't I?" Hades asked calmly, trying to ease her nerves.

Maria met his eyes again and nodded, "You did." Instantly she eased up a bit.

Hades smirked at her naivety. Some men would probably find her an easy target – which was probably the reason she needed saving in the first place.

"How is it possible?" She asked him suddenly, "If what you say is true."

Hades shrugged, there was no point in wondering why he existed he simply did. Perhaps it was because mortals had such short lives that they constantly questioned the metaphysical and the meaning of existence. Hades would be a liar if he said he never did – but after dealing with death daily he just accepted the world as it was.

They must've sat there for at least an hour with Maria running questions by him as Hades truthfully answered all of them the best he could. It was therapeutic revealing secrets that he normally didn't. His other Maria never knew who he really was – Adolf only found out after a few run in with monsters in his teen years.

"So, what brought you to Chicago?" Maria asked.

Keeping the spirit of being truthful with her he replied, "My son has become insane and wants to exterminate most of the world, so I came to this city to think."

Maria was silent before replying, "That's unfortunate."

Hades laughed out loud which earned him a startled look, "It is."

Maria's stomach growled and Hades was reminded that they'd spent most of their morning chatting away. She was probably starving. Quickly he phoned the downstairs lobby and ordered breakfast for the two of them. While he waited for the food Maria took her time re-freshening as best she could in the bathroom.

When their food arrived they sat down at the table in the suit and began to eat. He was halfway through a sausage when he met Maria's surprised gaze.

"Anything wrong?"

A blush appeared on her cheeks, "I didn't think you eat because you're a god and everything..."

Hades couldn't hold back a sharp laugh and Maria's blush spread throughout her face.

"Of course I eat," Hades said and he took a large bite of the remainder of his sausage for emphasis.

Maria laughed to as they finished their meal.

As they sat at the small round table with empty plates an awkward apprehension came up between the two. Hades was enjoying Maria's company and didn't want her to leave. Of course he barely knew anything about her, they'd only talked about him all day. And now he was curious.

He didn't have to worry for long when she asked, "Can I see you again sometime?"

"I was hoping you'd ask."

Maria's cheeks turned pink again and he was graced by her dimpled smile. After a few more minutes of Maria asking him questions about being a god she left, leaving him an address and phone number.

* * *

><p>A week or so passed before Hades decided to see Maria again. It wasn't like he missed her, he just felt he needed to know that the naïve girl he'd saved wasn't dead. Though that itself was a lame excuse considering he could simply go home and find out.<p>

So on a Tuesday night he spontaneously appeared at the door of her apartment and with a knock he was greeted by the sight of her dimpled cheeks.

"Hades!" She said surprisingly and honestly happy to see him. That itself was a rarity. She was probably the only living person on the earth happy to see death at their door.

"Hello Maria," he said. The corners of his lips raised in a small smile from the contagious happiness she exuded.

She grabbed his arms and pulled him into her apartment. It was elegant with a feminine flair. It was dark, but not in the way Hades normally perceived it. It was an accepting dark, like the starry sky.

"I've been thinking about you Hades," she said still smiling at him from her cup of coffee as they sat next to each other on her small black couch.

Hades sipped his coffee without replying.

Maria soon launched into the "game" of a million questions. Hades answered all of them honestly and was met with acceptance from her.

"You don't mind at all that I'm basically the god of the underworld, hell, whatever you want to call it?" Hades finally asked her the question that had bugged him the most. He typically never revealed who he was- it wasn't the best conversational topic for picking up women.

"You said you wouldn't hurt me," Maria replied honestly, "Besides, when I die I'll know the boss."

They both laughed and continued talking through the night. When Hades left he was awarded a kiss on his cheek. So in order to protect her he decided to cut all connections.

* * *

><p><em><strong>1926<strong>_

Winter was over and Persephone returned to her mother in Olympus. Hades found himself alone in the underworld. There really wasn't much excitement down below. When 99% of the population is dead the remaining 1% can quickly become an annoyance after thousands of years.

Brooding in his throne room he suddenly felt a scream in his mind. He knew this scream and instantly teleported to the surface – to Maria.

He found himself in a hospital. Doctors were running around as Hades tried to find her. Invisible to all others he made his way around looking for her, still hearing her screams in his head.

"We've got two victims of a car crash. Male and female," said a passing nurse.

Hades followed the nurse and doctor to a room flooded with doctors around Maria. She was badly injured, Hades could tell just by looking at her bloodied form but also by the ringing and screaming filling his head. She was dying, and would be gone soon.

"It's not your time," Hades said to her quietly – none of the others in the room could see or hear him as he made his way next to her. He placed his hand on top of her head, staining his fingers with her blood. The screaming and ringing stopped instantly and her eyes flashed open. Her dark brown eyes met his as she gazed at him dazed.

"Don't" she muttered weakly.

The doctors looked amazed as the woman they had probably thought was a goner spoke. They didn't know what her words meant as they attempted to assure her that they had to help her.

But Hades knew, and he didn't leave her side at all this time.

She woke up days later, all the while Hades stuck around. Her dimpled cheeked grin was pained as she gazed at him. Hades had found out earlier that the man she was with had been her fiancé.

"You didn't leave," she muttered weakly to him. Hades held her hand in his – fascinated by how cold they were.

"I said I wouldn't," Hades replied.

She laughed softly before wincing in pain, "But you also said you wouldn't hurt me… Don't leave." She whispered the last part begging.

Hades knew the last thing she needed was stress, so he lied, "I won't." As soon as Fall came he would have to leave – that was a promise he could never break.

* * *

><p>Her recovery was fast – mainly because of Hades. She was out of the hospital walking with a limp after a month. Hades didn't break his false-promise during that time. He was always there, only for her and invisible to everyone else.<p>

They returned to her small apartment. And spring quickly turned to summer as they spent their days together. Maria revealed her relationship with Matteo – the fiancé who died in the accident. Hades didn't feel jealousy towards the man – only sadness that the man who had made Maria happy was gone.

It was obvious that Maria wanted him to fill that void but Hades was reluctant. He cared for her but he'd be damned if he would hurt her more. Nothing good happened to him and by association Maria would be thrust into that luck. However, he couldn't bring himself to tear away from her so soon – it wasn't fair that he the eldest child be forced to live in the shadows. Hades needed the light too, and for now Maria was that light.

* * *

><p>"Mama, isn't Hades handsome?" Maria asked the frail woman whose house Maria had managed to drag him to.<p>

Hades could tell Maria's mother's time on earth was almost over, but that didn't stop her sharp tongue.

"You better not be doing anything with him Maria!" muttered the old woman in Italian, "He gives me the creeps."

Hades had to hide his smile, and Maria couldn't stifle her own laughter. If the old woman only knew.

* * *

><p>"I've been looking for this for years!" Maria clutched the small figurine of a fluffy puppy to her heart and smiled her dimpled cheeks at him, "This is perfect for my collection."<p>

Hades didn't understand her fond admiration for the little dogs she had littered around her house. Especially since she was allergic to them, but he loved how passionate she was about it. And later for her birthday in July he bought her the rest of the set.

* * *

><p>Summer was almost over and the feeling of dread that had occupied Hades's mind was becoming too distracting. The days leading up to his unannounced departure grew nearer he tried to end it with her- it was best to end it when she wasn't too attached.<p>

"You know I'm married?" Hades asked the rhetorical question. As per Maria's million questions game they'd already discussed his marriage and even his lovers and children.

"Yes," Maria said as she worked on a pot of Spaghetti sauce. She prided in the fact that it was just like her mama's.

Hades sighed, although it was discussed and he explained that Persephone was okay (well as okay as a woman he kidnapped and forced to marry could) with all of his mistresses. Maria was not a fan of sneaking around – although the most they did was sleep in the same bed. And it was sleep, not the metaphorical kind. Hades was putting up his best efforts to keep things from turning romantically. Making Maria the first friend he'd had in millennia.

"She is expecting me soon," Hades tried to break the news as gently as possible. Maria had the tendency to casually remind him about his promise of not leaving her. An unrealistic promise he was going to break today.

Maria paused her stirring and glanced at him frowning slightly.

"She comes back from Olympus in two days."

Another long pause between the two and Hades could tell Maria wasn't going to take the news easily.

"I think it is best if we don't see each other anymore." That got her attention. She abandoned the sauce and walked over to where he was sitting at the kitchen table.

"I'll wait for you," Maria said desperately. She grabbed his shoulders roughly and leaned down so their faces were level. "I'll always wait for you." Her hands moved up to cup his cheeks and she leaned in. Their lips met and Hades was amazed at the feeling of her warm lips brushing across his cold lips.

They remained embraced and once Hades could feel his thoughts coming back to him Maria had ended up in his lap and their arms wrapped around each other. Both holding onto each other tightly.

Hades knew nothing he could say would make her believe he wasn't good for her.

* * *

><p>The remaining two days together were spent as if the conversation and kiss the day before had never happened. And in the final hours of their time together Hades could tell Maria was on edge.<p>

"Let's go to sleep now," Hades suggested after silently sitting curled up in each other's arms silently for hours.

Persephone would be expecting him in the Underworld at midnight. And he knew it would be impossible to leave Maria if she were awake.

"Thank you Hades," Maria whispered against his chest as they laid in bed wrapped in each other's arms. "Thanks for saving me and being here. Even if you go I'll always remember you."

Hades stayed silent, holding her tightly. He wasn't good with words and holding her was the only comfort he could give her.

He left in the morning, returning to Persephone, returning to his duty.

* * *

><p><strong>1927<strong>

Life returned back to normal. He managed his duties well, he tended to his wife and mother-in-law/sister. And he tried as best as he could to forget Maria.

In reality he was going crazy. Normalcy was what he dreaded because it reminded him of what he missed in her. He knew Persephone picked up on his bad mood - as much as he tried to please her he had accepted long ago he never would be able to. His rashness had caused him to hurt her too badly.

"You should honor your wife more," Demeter said grumpily as she munched on a few articles of food Hermes had brought her and Persephone the other day. They didn't want to have to stay down here longer than needed.

"I try," Hades replied as he listened to her munch on an apple.

Demeter huffed, "Try harder! Anyone can see that you don't want to be down here! That you're bored with her! Perhaps, you should've thought of that before trapping her here in the first place."

Hades didn't exactly regret forcing Persephone down here. He regretted her displeasure and the fear she still had of him, but the company during the darkest times had always helped him. It as just now that he'd had a taste of true happiness he couldn't help but want more. He'd fallen into his own trap - he'd eaten the pomegranate seeds of Maria's love.

* * *

><p>Spring arrived after a boring winter. Demeter and Persephone returned to Olympus and Hades returned to brooding. Had it not been for the irritated council of death insisting he take a break on the surface he wouldn't have been there.<p>

"Help!" He had been walking around the more solitude streets of Chicago when he heard that voice.

Quickly he located her with his eyes. She was screaming as she held on tightly to her purse while trying not to fall over in her high heels. Rushing over to her the man who was attempting to steal her purse looked at him before deciding it was best to run away.

"Hades," Maria said trying to catch her breath.

"What were you doing walking around Chicago? You could go to anywhere in the world, why here?"

Busted.

Before Hades could reply Maria continued, "You say you don't want to hurt me, but I think that's a lie. You don't want to hurt yourself. If you returned for me only in the spring and summer I would be happy, but for you to leave me forever. That's your selfishness, don't blame it on me."

Maria's voice was a higher pitch and her face was a bright pink from her angry rant.

"I'm not good for you Maria. I could only taint you."

"You foolish god, you already have. It's too late for me now," she still looked peeved but her arms wrapped around his waist and they kissed.

"You are too stubburn for you your own good," Hades muttered after they pulled away. Her smile shined brightly at him and he couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

><p>That spring they became lovers. It wasn't a hard transition but Hades found it both comforting and scary in how much trust and love he gave to Maria. Something he normally kept bottled up or let out glimpses of to Persephone. However he was content. Because of her unlimited free time, being a child of inheritance, she had a large amount of hobbies that he tried to do with her.<p>

"Gentler my love, you don't want to break the brush," Maria whispered in his ears as she leaned in from behind him to grasp his hand in hers. "Like this." She moved her hand and together they completed what was supposed to be the sea of flames.

One of Maria's many hobbies was painting. She was a natural – him, not so much. His river looked more like he had spread ketchup and mustard on canvas. As much as he tried to follow along with her hobbies painting wasn't working out for him.

"You'll get better with more practice," Maria said thoughtfully but when Hades turned to look at her he could see she was trying to hold back laughter.

* * *

><p>Music was something that could be shared by the both of them. Unknown to the other gods, Hades had picked up a few instruments throughout the centuries. Apollo, the more appealing god, was announced as god of music and knowing he couldn't really compete with him Hades decided to not share his love of music with anyone, until he met Maria.<p>

Maria revealed that when she lived in Italy her parents bought her a violin and forced her to play. After she was a teenager she rebelled and cast away the instrument but it wasn't until she reached adulthood that she began playing for herself again.

"Tell me if you know this song," Maria said during one of their many late night music sessions. She held up her violin in position and started playing Salut d'Amour. Hades did in fact know this song – he was actually at a concert where it was first performed in 1889. He stayed quiet though and watched her play, awed at her talent and at the way her features would reveal every fluttering emotion in the music as if she were projecting exactly what the artist felt when he composed it.

After she finished Hades placed his hands on the piano and began playing the piano accompaniment. She laughed, "Of course you would know it. You know everything… Except how to paint."

They played together late into the night only stopping when her upstairs neighbor came to their door threatening to call the police.

* * *

><p>When Maria announced she wanted children Hades was hesitant at first – he still wasn't sure if one day she would announce that she'd rather find a mortal lover to settle down with. But night after night when she returned to his arms he finally accepted her decision.<p>

"I'm pregnant!" Maria announced as she pressed her head against his chest, "I'm so happy."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Hades asked gently. He wasn't too surprised she was pregnant already; it was him that suggested she go to the doctor in the first place.

Maria's brown eyes met his, "Of course, I can't wait to be a mother. And I can't wait to see you as a father. You will be a good father I know it."

Hades was doubtful thinking of his three sons- Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin- that were sure to cause a lot of trouble in the coming years. But he didn't want to ruin her good mood, "I'm happy too."

* * *

><p>Bianca, that was the name of Maria's grandmother and now the name of their infant daughter. He had since returned to the underworld because of his promise to Persephone - only visiting Maria as she gave birth to their daughter. The actual birth went smoothly - the god that oversaw death helped Maria push new life into the world.<p>

He was happy that she looked just like her mother.

A few years later they had a son together, Nico. Maria had a harder time carrying Nico and as soon as he arrived Hades could see a smaller version of himself. And he could only hope that by being in their life even a bit would make sure his son didn't succumb to despair like so many of his other children did.

Years passed and every spring and summer he would visit Maria. He ignored Zeus's concerns about being close with the mortals and simply enjoyed his new family. They were all his light in what was his endless life.

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><p><strong>1945<strong>

They wanted them dead. Zeus, Poseidon, the other gods - his family! They wanted what only light he had in these crummy times to die. Even Persephone in her jealous anger warned him it would be safer to kill his children now before he got too attatched.

He cursed at his foolishness. He should've fought against that pact that had signed his own children's lives away. Quickly he entered the door to his apartment.

"Papa!" Bianca hugged his waist tightly and Nico smiled at him from his pile of toys.

He smiled gently at his daughter, the more she grew the more she looked like the mirror of her mother.

"Where is your mother Bianca?" Hades asked as he stroked her dark hair gently.

Her smile never left her face,"Getting ready for your date." Hades fwent to her room where she was still applying makeup. She looked beautiful in her black dress gown- it was a shame their date night would have to be canceled. But if everything went according to his plans her and the children will be in the Underworld with him, safe from harm. She smiled brightly at him.

"We have to leave now."

Hades took them to a lush hotel in Italy. It was the only place he could think of at the top of his head. Zeus and Poseidon were probably close behind. He was still in their domain after all.

_"Please, my dear. You must come to the Underworld,"_ Hades voice was panicked, he could feel them getting closer. _"I don't care what Persephone thinks! I can keep you safe there."_

She smiled her dimpled cheeks at him, _"No my love. Raise our children in te land of the dead? I will not do this."_

There was that stubbornness again that he had loved - but now was surely going to lead them only into harms way._ "Maria, listen to me. The war in Europe has turned the other gods against me. A prophecy has been made. My children are no longer safe. Poseidon and Zeus have forced me into an agreement. None of us are to have demigod children ever again."_

She looked at him confused, _"But you already have Nico and Biance. Surely-"_

_"No!"_ He snapped at her, he never yelled at her before and he noticed her slight flinch, _"The prophecy warns of a child who turns sixteen. Zeus has decreed that he children I currently have be turned over to Camp Half-Blood for proper training, but I know what he means. At best they'll be watched, imprisoned, turned against their father. Even more likely, he will not take a chance. He won't allow my demigod children to reach sixteen. He'll find a way to destroy them, and I won't risk that!"_

_"Ceremente,"_ said Maria, _"We will stay together. Zeus is un imbecile."_

At any other time I would've smiled at her insult for my brother but I was too worried and that little remark probably wouldn't help the situation now. Especially since they were here, I could feel Zeus radiating above and Poseidon further out in the sea.

_"Maria, please. I told you, Zeus gave me a deadline of last week to turn over the children. His wrath will be horrible, and I cannot hid you forever. As long as you are with he children, you are in daner to."_

Her dimpled cheeks appeared again,_ "You are a god, my love. You will protect us. But I will not take Nico and Bianca to the Underworld."_

They were doomed, she was doomed. There was only so much he could do and this he knew he could not fix easily. His heart was pacing and he knew time was almost up. He thought furiously of every option he could think of. He had to save them.

_"Then, there is another option. I know a place in the desert where time stands still. I could send the children there, just for a while, for their own safety, and we could be together. I will build you a golden palace by the Styx."_

Her musical laugh filled the hotel lobby, _"You are a kind man, my love. A generous man. The other gods should see you as I do, and they would not fear you so. But Nico and Bianca need their mother. Besides they are only children. The gods wouldn't really hurt them."_

Hades frowned, _"You don't know my family. Please Maria, I can't lose you."_ And it was scary how true it was, he couldn't. She was the only happiness in his world - to not have more springs and summers in her company would truly be the closest he could get to dying.

Her fingers gently grazed his lips and Hades wanted to kiss her badly.

_"You will not lose me,"_ she whispered softly. His children were laughing as they ran around, Zeus was above him and Poseidon on stand-by. _"Wait for me while I get my purse. Watch the children."_

Hades was about to go outside and approach his brother to ask for more time when he felt the bolt. Shouting desperately at Maria, he quickly put up a shield around him and the children an instant before the hotel exploded. The mist dissolved before his eyes and he saw her on the ground. Blood stained her clothing and burns marred her beautiful olive skin.

As if mocking him lightning flashed in the now unconcealed sky and thunder roared.

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><p><em>Perchance he half prevailed<em>  
><em>To win her for the flight<em>  
><em>From the firelit looking-glass<em>  
><em>And warm stove-window light.<em>

_But the flower leaned aside_  
><em>And thought of naught to say,<em>  
><em>And morning found the breeze<em>  
><em>A hundred miles away.<em>

_-Robert Frost_

**AN:/**

Thanks for the reviews with the last chapter. I hope you all liked this chapter. I think because of the length I'm going to publish it again as its own story because I worked hard on this!

I'm satisfied – and it's so long. The words literally gushed out of me like I'd been stabbed.

**Please continue to review.**


	8. Hermes & Multiple Mothers

**Hermes and the mother of Chris Rodriguez (100 words)**

Marissa Rodriguez had been a young widower. Her husband, whom she married during her senior year of high school, was only 22 when he died. For 10 years after that Marissa worked to own the most popular flower delivery service. Never having time for romance, she didn't have time to admire the handsome man who'd become one of her biggest competitors. His curly brown hair, brown eyes, and a mischievous glint only annoyed her. Somehow they became friends. Perhaps it was his gentle teasing, or the strange way he reminded her exactly of her deceased husband. She fell for him.

**Hermes and the mother of Travis and Connor Stoll (479 words)**

Hermes sometimes liked to appear as a youngster, mainly after having to deal with high stress situations – like having to complete a catering party order for the entire Underworld. He met Caitlin Stoll when she was just a young girl, and he appearing as a young boy. She was on a paper route and having a hard time. She'd forget who was on her list, or accidentally throw a newspaper in the bushes. He helped her after that. Unknown to anyone but them, Hermes helped her deliver newspapers every day until she left for college.

"Hermes, I want to see Olympus," she'd say, having known for years he was a god. Of course, Hermes couldn't do that, and to ease her kindred spirit he'd change the subject.

"Hermes, I want to go flying," she'd say, he knew she was jealous every time he'd fly in front of her. Hermes resisted at first, it wasn't safe to take mortals into his father's zone. But after her insistent pleading he gave in - holding her close to him as they soared into the clouds.

"Hermes, I want to have some fun today," she'd say, he saw that mischievous glint in her eyes that almost equally matched his own. Hermes teamed up with her and they played a prank on everyone in her dorm building. Getting all the water out of the flooded building the next day, was a lot harder than it seemed.

"Hermes, I want you to love me," she said, tears threatened to fall from her dark blue eyes. Hermes knew she was dealing with the sudden death of her mother, and he with his own pain from having his May being broken, so he gave in. Allowing himself to love her.

"Hermes, I want another child," she said one evening, Connor was asleep in his pram. Hermes was visiting for the last time and this revelation threw him. She knew she'd be alone, he could only help from a far distance. But he also knew she was strong, she never gave up- she'd do fine. They made love one more time, and Hermes made sure the fertility gods granted her wish. Travis was born months later.

A few days into the battle of the Titans, Hermes felt her calling to him. Managing to slip away after a rather unsettling meeting with Percy Jackson, he saw her worried face in the doorway of her house.

"Hermes, I want you to make sure they live," she said, her eyes hardened with slight wrinkles around them and wisps of her grey hair mingled with brown strands. She was older and was a determined mother. Hermes understood her worry and vowed to keep their boys safe.

He was rewarded with a small smile, and Hermes felt his father calling for him. With a nod at his old friend and lover he left.

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><p>AN:

**Thanks for reading and for the reviews! **

I dunno if I want to write a May/Hermes story. I've read some that have been done before and I don't like to do stuff that's already been done very well. And I haven't read any stories on the couples I've written about so far. So I'm trying to say original, but if you want me to write the May/Hermes story just tell me.


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